


The Sheikah Prince

by TheLegendOfChel



Series: The Lion's Flute [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Knight Shiro (Voltron), Legend of Zelda AU, M/M, Prequel, Prince Keith (Voltron), White-Haired Keith (Voltron), broganes, but there is still klance fluff because i am weak, it's not based on a particular game so much as the lore in general, this technically takes place before Keith and Lance meet, well ok he's a ninja bodyguard but same difference, you don't need to be super familiar with Zelda to read this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 16:45:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19089052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLegendOfChel/pseuds/TheLegendOfChel
Summary: The royal family of Hyrule only ever has one heir per generation. Thus, Prince Akira, known to his closest loved ones as Keith, knows he will always be an only child.Until he meets Shiro, and discovers that family means more than blood.aka a broganes-centric prequel to my Zelda AU, The Lion’s Flute





	The Sheikah Prince

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prequel to my other fic, The Lion’s Flute. While you don’t technically need to read that one first, I highly recommend doing so to get the most out of the story. 
> 
> Also, like The Lion’s Flute, you don’t need prior knowledge of Zelda to understand this fic. It’s a high fantasy setting, Keith is a magical prince, and the Sheikah are a tribe of ninjas who protect the royal family. Oh, and Cuccos are chickens lol.

Legend said that the royal family of Hyrule was descended from the Goddess Hylia, and that once every few hundred years, when the world fell to chaos and needed a champion, the goddess’ chosen hero would be born anew, alongside a prince or princess who held the soul of Hylia herself.

Whether or not these legends were true, no one alive could say. However, throughout history, the royal family only ever produced one heir per generation, and it remained tradition that each heir, regardless of gender, be named Akira, to honor the original Princess Akira who founded their dynasty. For centuries, the kings and queens of Hyrule passed on their own name to their children without fail.

However, none of _them_ ever had to face Queen Krolia’s puppy dog eyes.

“I’m sorry, my love,” King Akira said for what must have been the tenth time that day, “but we must name him Akira. It’s tra-”

“Tradition, yes, yes, I know,” Krolia sighed. “But my family has traditions too. Sheikah children must have Sheikah names, so that Hylia can find them and give them her blessing.”

“I doubt Hylia will have any trouble finding our son,” Akira said wryly. “For all we know, he could be her reincarnation.”

Krolia swatted his arm and he laughed.

“That’s not the point,” she pouted. “This is important to me. Please, Akira.”

King Akira sobered and hummed thoughtfully. Although the Sheikah tribe had protected the royal family for centuries, none of them had ever married into the family until now, so his predecessors never ran into this issue. In fact, some of Akira’s council had opposed their courtship for this reason, among other things, but Akira hadn’t cared. He loved Krolia with all his heart, and even this headache couldn’t make him regret it.

“If we were to give him a Sheikah name,” he asked curiously, “what would it be?”

“Keith,” she replied immediately. “It’s a strong name, and would bring him good fortune. Yorak would also be acceptable.”

“We are not naming the future king of Hyrule Yorak. Keith, however,” he tested the feel of it. “I like it. But,” he added at Krolia’s hopeful gaze, “it’s not just a matter of personal taste. You know the legends as well as I, Krolia.”

Krolia knit her brows together. As Hylia’s chosen guardians, the Sheikah knew the legends better than most. Krolia, however, was stubborn.

“What if we gave him two names?” she finally said. “To the kingdom and his people, he will be Prince Akira. But when he is with us, or when I take him to visit our tribe in Kakariko, he will be Keith.”

The king considered it.

“That might work,” he said. “I don’t think there are any rules against it.”

Krolia’s beautiful smile lit up once more. Akira was glad they found a compromise because he might not have been able to resist if she’d done that earlier.

“Did you hear that, my darling?” she cooed down into the crib between them. “Your name is Akira, and your name is Keith. My little Keith.”

King Akira smiled down at his newborn son, all soft, pudgy cheeks and tufts of snow white hair.

“Hello, Keith,” he murmured, holding his wife’s hand. “Welcome to our family.”

\-----

Growing up as the Prince of Hyrule had its ups and downs.

As far as Keith was concerned, his life was an endless series of lessons. Some he enjoyed, like magic or swordplay, but he hated history and etiquette.

He also hated going on diplomacy missions with his parents. The meetings themselves were boring, and while Keith loved seeing other parts of Hyrule, he wasn’t keen on how everyone tended to stare at him all the time. They were all polite and kept their distance, but Keith still stuck to his mother’s skirt and scowled at anyone who came too close, despite Krolia’s admonishments to be nice.

Sometimes his mother would use a spell to turn Keith’s hair black and dress him in dark clothes, and they would travel with just their bodyguard Thace to visit the other Sheikah living in Kakariko Village. Keith liked those trips, and felt at ease in the village like he didn’t at Hyrule Castle.

But as the years passed, those visits became less and less frequent.

On his tenth birthday, the king and queen threw a huge parade and invited everyone in Hyrule to celebrate. Servants brushed Keith’s long white hair, dressed him in smooth, red silks, and placed a golden circlet with a single ruby on his brow.

As he rode through the streets of Castletown with his parents, Keith did his best to hide his discomfort at the hundreds of eyes on him. He reminded himself that he was ten now, old enough to present a dignified image to his people.

Keith gripped the reins of his mount and willed himself to calm down. A little desperate, his cast his gaze around for something that might distract him from his nerves.

His eyes caught on a young boy, probably around Keith’s age. He stood elevated above the crowd, no doubt standing on a platform of some sort, and had dark brown hair and skin, and bright blue eyes.

Keith wasn’t sure why, but it almost felt like something inside of him was being drawn towards the boy. Like in the split second where they locked eyes, they were connected.

Keith tore his gaze away and gave himself a little shake, feeling silly. Connected? To some random peasant boy in a crowd of hundreds of people? Unlikely.  

Still, Keith mused, those eyes had been a very pretty shade of blue.

As he continued along with the procession, Keith didn’t notice his hands had stopped shaking.

\-----

Keith quickly forgot about the strange boy when another change presented itself. A few days after the parade, his parents summoned him to the throne room.

“Now that you’re getting older, you need to have your own personal attendant,” his father said. “You grow more free-spirited each day, and spend less time with your mother and me. We encourage you to be independent, but you need protection. Thace can’t be in two places at once.”

“The Sheikah have sent their most promising young warrior to fill the role,” Keith’s mother smiled and turned to the door. “You can come in now.”

A young man entered. He was tall with broad shoulders, and wore the traditional dark, fitted clothes of the Sheikah. However, despite his stature he didn’t look very old, probably seventeen or eighteen at most.

Keith wasn’t impressed.

“Your majesties,” the Sheikah greeted Keith’s parents with a bow. He turned and offered the same to Keith. “Your highness. My name is Shiro. It’s an honor to serve you.”

Keith squinted up at Shiro. He looked vaguely familiar, but that wasn’t surprising. The Sheikah Tribe wasn’t as big as it used to be, and Keith had probably met all of them at least once during their trips to Kakariko.

“Shiro will stay by your side at all times,” the king said. “He will see to your needs and act as your bodyguard if necessary.” Akira exchanged a smile with Krolia. “It is our hope that over time, the two of you will become each other’s support and confidantes, just as Thace is ours and your mother was once mine.”

Although the details weren’t widely known to the common folk, it had been quite the scandal amongst the Hyrulian upper court when King Akira announced his intention to marry his Sheikah bodyguard. Many had protested, but Akira was firm in his decision, and he soon gained the people’s support as well, all of them excited by the prospect of a fellow commoner becoming their queen.

After they wed, Krolia claimed she didn’t need her own bodyguard since she was still an elite warrior herself, but Akira worried her new position might invite enemies. They compromised by sharing his new attendant, Thace. The two rarely separated, so it wasn’t difficult for Thace to watch over them both, but Keith was another matter.

When he was younger, the prince spent most of his time by his mother’s side, but as he grew, Keith became restless, filled with the urge to explore and seek adventure. He slipped away from his parents and Thace’s watchful eye more and more frequently these past months, so he probably should have seen this coming.

Holding in a resigned sigh at the sudden loss of his freedom, Keith turned to Shiro, and the Sheikah offered him a hopeful smile.

Keith looked away and started walking out of the throne room.

“Akira?” his father called behind him. “Where are you going?”

“I have a history lesson,” Keith said, fleeing the room before anyone could reply.

After a moment, he heard footsteps and looked back to see Shiro catching up to him. The Sheikah didn’t say anything about Keith’s abrupt departure, and merely gave him another smile as he fell into place a step behind Keith.

Keith pursed his lips and faced forward.

\-----

Keith didn’t dislike Shiro, per se. The young Sheikah warrior had a patient disposition and a kind nature. He was strong and smart and brave.

But he was _always there._

Keith attended his lessons, and Shiro was there. Keith visited the kitchens to wheedle sweets from the cooks, and Shiro was there. Keith went to the library for some peace and quiet, and Shiro, you guessed it, was there.

It was driving Keith crazy.

And sure, there were usually people around Keith when he wandered through Hyrule castle. Servants, knights, and nobles were constantly moving through the halls, and there was always someone around to make sure the crown prince didn’t accidentally kill himself or anything. But those were subtle, mere background noise that Keith could tune out while he went about his business.

Shiro had a large presence.

Today, he followed Keith through the castle gardens, the prince pausing now and then to pick up a random rock or peer into a small pond.

“If I may ask, you highness,” Shiro said after awhile, “what exactly are you doing?”

Keith glanced down from the branches of a tall tree. His new guardian hadn’t protested Keith climbing it earlier, and merely stood attentively below, ready to catch Keith should he fall. It was a point in his favor, but Keith wasn’t about to tell him that.

“I’m looking for Koroks,” Keith finally replied.

Shiro raised his eyebrows. “I see.”

Keith frowned and jumped down from the tree.

“You don’t believe me?”

He shouldn’t have been surprised. More than one of his tutors had lectured Keith for making up imaginary friends at his age, no matter how many times Keith insisted they were real.

Shiro, however, shook his head.

“I’m just surprised,” he said. “Being able to see the Children of the Forest is a rare gift. Some say only the legendary hero can see them.”

At his words, Keith’s mood darkened.

It must have shown on his face because Shiro asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

Keith never told anyone, but he hated the tales of the Goddess’ chosen hero. Keith was the Prince of Hyrule and perfectly capable of protecting it himself without the help of some random idiot with a magic sword.

But Shiro was a Sheikah warrior, a servant of the Goddess Hylia. No doubt he, like everyone else, expected Keith to sit back and let the hero save the day should the time come, just like so many of his ancestors apparently did.

“It’s nothing,” Keith muttered. “Let’s go back inside. My etiquette lesson starts soon, and Dayak will get on my case if I’m late.”

“Yes, your highness.”

\-----

Keith was about to scream.

He thought maybe if he just ignored Shiro, that would help him get over being constantly watched, but no such luck. If anything, it just made him feel kinda rude. But he didn’t know how else to cope, so he stuck it out and unless he had to directly address the Sheikah for something, Keith pretended like Shiro was just a piece of the background.

A piece of the background that followed him everywhere and he couldn’t get away from.

Keith sighed and dropped his forehead onto his desk

“Prince Akira?” Adam frowned. “Are you listening?”

Keith mumbled something resembling an affirmative and Adam pursed his lips.

“I suppose we’ve covered enough for today,” he said. “You’re free to go.”

Keith gave him a relieved smile and started gathering his study materials. Out of his many private tutors, Keith liked Adam the best, even if he wasn’t too crazy about the subject matter. Technically, Adam was merely an apprentice under Hyrule’s leading historian, Gaepora, but the wizened old man left Adam in charge of Keith’s lessons more and more frequently each passing year.

Keith was more than happy with this, since Adam was a much better teacher in his opinion. The young man was clearly passionate about his work, and while Keith still didn’t share his enthusiasm for Hyrulian historia, at least he had an easier time listening and retaining the information with Adam; Gaepora would drone on for hours and tended to repeat the same things over and over again.

As he organized his notes, Keith glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Shiro walk over to speak to Adam. Their voices were too low for Keith to hear anything, but he noticed they were standing awfully close to each other, Adam laughing quietly while a pleased grin grew on Shiro’s face.

The beginnings of an idea started to form in Keith's mind.

\-----

An opportunity to carry out his plan came a few days later.

Keith was walking down one of the castle's long hallways, Shiro glued to his shadow as usual, when he noticed Adam coming towards them from the opposite direction.

The young historian had several books and scrolls stacked precariously in his arms, and his bespectacled eyes barely peeked over the topmost text.

Keith subtly glanced back at Shiro. The Sheikah warrior looked towards Adam with concern, probably wondering if he should offer him help, and paying no attention to Keith whatsoever.

Perfect.

Keith sent Adam a silent apology and flicked a bit of magic from the tips of his fingers, causing the long carpet to bunch up just enough that Adam's foot caught on it.

Adam's eyes went comically wide. In a desperate attempt to not fall flat on his face, he threw his hands out. He managed to catch himself, but the items he carried went flying.

Shiro immediately ran to Adam's side to help the other man back to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Shiro asked.

Adam nodded, a flush on his cheeks.

"I'm fine," he said. "Mostly just embarrassed you two saw that."

Adam seemed to realize Shiro was still holding his hand. His blush deepened and he quickly snatched it away and kneeled down to gather the books strewn across the floor.

"Here, let me help you," Shiro started picking up things as well.

While the two of them cleaned up the mess and chatted in an awkward fashion that Keith suspected was supposed to be flirtatious, Keith quickly but quietly snuck away.

As soon as he was out of sight and earshot, the prince broke into a run. He didn’t know how much time he’d have before Shiro realized his charge was gone and tracked him down. Keith swung by the armory to grab his favorite practice sword and made his way into the forest just south of the castle grounds, avoiding any patrolling guards along the way.

Upon arriving at his destination, Keith let out a breath of relief. The absence of eyes constantly watching him was like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

With a bounce in his step, Keith walked to the center of the small clearing. He used to come here all the time to practice sword drills or read a book under the shade of a tree, but then Shiro had become a permanent fixture in his life, and Keith didn’t feel like he knew the Sheikah well enough yet to share this special place with him. Maybe he would one day, if they became closer like Keith’s parents encouraged, but for now this place was Keith’s, and Keith’s alone.

Keith drew his practice sword and began running through the choreography his instructor last taught him. It wasn’t long before he lost himself in the repetition, his mind peacefully blank as his body moved automatically. He got through the routine twice before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him.

Keith groaned internally. He thought for sure he’d have more time before Shiro found him. Oh well, better get the lecture over with.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” Keith turned around. “I just needed some time-”

The prince froze.

The person in front of him wasn’t Shiro. They were tall and thin, and wore red and black clothes similar to that of the Sheikah, except for one glaring difference: a white mask with an inverted Sheikah emblem.

The Yiga Clan. A branch of the Sheikah tribe that went rogue generations ago. Where the Sheikah served Hylia and vowed to protect the royal family, the Yiga turned to darkness, pledging their loyalty to Zarkon.

Keith whipped his blade up in front of him, knuckles white around the hilt. Keeping his eyes on the Yiga, he slowly backed away, only to bump into something solid.

Or rather, someone.

Another Yiga clansman stood behind Keith, bigger and burlier than their companion. Keith was a prodigy with a sword, but he was still only ten years old.

The shadows fell upon him and everything went black.

\-----

Time passed by Keith in flashes.

A large figure carrying him over their shoulder.

Getting tossed into a cold, metal cage.

Whispers of Zarkon and resurrection and sacrifice.

A new figure, clad in shadows like the others, yet undeniably their opposite.

This newcomer, taking them all on, many of them much larger than he, but just as helpless against his speed and strength and determination.

Sounds assaulting Keith’s ears. Metal scraping against metal, cries of pain, roars of anger.

Suddenly, silence, and gentle hands removing the shackle around his ankle, and strong arms lifting him up into the air.

\-----

The setting sun cast orange and pink light across the sky when Keith finally came to. His eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head from the broad shoulder it had been leaning on.

Shiro didn’t pause. He kept up a steady pace through the tall grass, and didn’t seem to be out of breath at all, even after taking on an entire clan of Yiga and carrying Keith piggyback for who knows how long.

Keith studied what he could see of Shiro’s face from this angle and slowly rested his forehead back onto Shiro’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

Shiro’s grip on the underside of Keith’s knees tightened slightly.

“I’m the one who should apologize,” he said. “I failed my duty as your protector.”

Keith shook his head.

“It’s not your fault,” he replied. “I shouldn’t have run away.”

“Why did you?” Shiro asked quietly. “I know I haven’t earned your trust yet, but I didn’t think you hated me that much.”

“I don’t hate you, I just…” Keith sighed. “I just needed to be alone for a bit. I’m not very good at dealing with strangers, and having one always looking over my shoulder was...suffocating.”

Shiro remained silent for a long moment.

“I see,” he finally said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you felt that way. My own behavior probably didn’t help either.”

“What do you mean?”

“I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but these last few weeks have been incredibly nerve-wracking,” Shiro admitted. “Not only is protecting a member of the royal family the biggest responsibility a Sheikah can undertake, but this was my first big mission period. I’m confident in my ability to protect you, of course. I wouldn’t have accepted the job otherwise. But I might have been overcompensating a bit.”

Now that he mentioned it, Keith did recall that Thace’s brand of security always felt a bit more relaxed than Shiro’s. No less secure, but it offered Keith and his parents more freedom than Shiro’s watchful eye did.

“I sincerely apologize if my actions caused you discomfort,” Shiro said. “If you choose to find another attendant, I'll understand.”

Keith blinked.

“But, if you give me another chance,” Shiro continued, “I promise not to, uh, hover quite so much. And in return, I’d appreciate it if you talked to me instead of running away when there’s a problem.”

Keith pondered it for a long moment. Somehow, he had never even considered that replacing Shiro was an option. Thinking about it now, he found the idea didn’t sit quite right. Closing his eyes, the prince tightened his arms around Shiro’s neck ever so slightly and nodded.

“I promise.”

As they continued trekking home in the twilight, Shiro began to hum a soft melody that Keith recognized as a lullaby known only to the royal family and their most trusted confidantes. Still draped over Shiro’s broad back, Keith slowly drifted off to the soothing motion of his gait and the low timbre of his voice.

\-----

After rescuing Prince Akira from the Yiga, Shiro had hoped things would change between them. He thought that maybe after proving himself a capable protector, the prince would act more open with him, or at least stop pretending Shiro didn’t exist.

Things did change, but not the way he expected.

With an internal sigh, Shiro lowered his book and met big, sparkling violet eyes.

“Can I help you with something, your highness?” Shiro asked politely.

The prince opened his mouth, then closed it again, glancing away. Shiro was surprised. He knew Akira could be a bit shy, but he’d never been so towards Shiro.

“Yes?” Shiro prompted. He did his best to look open and encouraging.

“I want to be a Sheikah,” the prince blurted out.

Shiro blinked. The prince flushed, clearly embarrassed by his outburst, but carried on with determined eyes.

“I mean, I was wondering if you would teach me the ways of the Sheikah warrior,” Akira amended, contrite. “I’ve learned a few things from my mother and Thace, but they’re both always so busy, and I’m not allowed to go to Kakariko Village on my own. I know I’m only half Sheikah, but…”

He trailed off and Shiro offered him a kind smile.

“That doesn’t matter,” Shiro said. “Even just a drop of Sheikah blood makes you a Sheikah, and I would be honored to teach you our ways.”

Akira’s face lit up.

“With the king and queen’s permission, of course,” Shiro added.

The prince’s smile fell. With a crease between his brow, he scuffed a shoe against the floor. It was oddly adorable.

“My mother will probably say yes,” Akira said. “She’s always pleased when I show any interest in our heritage. I don’t know about my father though.”

“You don’t think he would approve?”

“It’s not that, exactly,” the prince bit his lip. “He has a deep respect for the Sheikah and encourages me embrace that part of myself, but...he’s always made it clear that my first duty is as a prince. I asked him for training before, but he thought it would be too much on top of all my other lessons.”

Shiro was sympathetic, but he couldn’t deny the king had a point. Though their numbers have dwindled over the years, there was still an entire tribe of Sheikah. There was only one Hyrulian prince. If it came down to a choice between learning to be one or the other, the choice was obvious.

“Maybe you could talk to him,” Akira looked up at Shiro with hopeful eyes. “He wouldn’t listen to me, but he values your opinion.”

“I don’t know,” Shiro frowned dubiously. “You already have an awful lot on your plate, your highness. The path to becoming a Sheikah warrior is quite arduous, and adding it to your other responsibilities...”

“I can handle it,” Akira insisted. “Please. I’ve never wanted something so badly in my whole life.”

“Sometimes what we want is not always what’s best for us,” Shiro said gently.

Akira furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at the ground. He seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, he glanced back up, the mischievous spark returned to his eyes as he crossed his arms and shifted his weight to pop one hip to the side.

“You know,” the prince said casually, “if you were able to convince my father to let you teach me the ways of the Sheikah, I might be able to put in a good word for you with Adam.”

Shiro froze.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said a moment too late.

Akira sent him an unimpressed look.

“I literally got kidnapped because you were too busy staring into his eyes to notice I was missing.”

“I…” heat rose to Shiro’s cheeks. “I was not-”

“I bet he would love a detailed account of how heroic you were when you saved me,” Akira examined his nails innocently. “I could tell him all about it. But then again, I was unconscious for a lot of it, so my memory’s a little hazy...”

“Alright, alright,” Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew the prince could be a menace, but this was a new level of deviousness. “I’ll talk to the king. And not because you’re trying to bribe me,” he threw Akira a warning glance, “but because I think it would be beneficial to your education and protection.”

Akira blinked, the mischievous spark replaced by something softer.

“Thank you, Shiro,” he said quietly.

“Of course.” Shiro patted him on the shoulder and his smile quirked. “That said, I won’t stop you if you want to sing my praises to your tutor.”

Akira grinned.

“Deal.”

\-----

It was well-known across the land that Hyrule’s beloved prince was a bit of a prodigy. He excelled at his studies, wielded powerful magic, and could best soldiers twice his size in single combat.

And sure, Shiro had discovered in the weeks since becoming Prince Akira’s bodyguard that the boy wasn’t as perfect as some believed. He lacked certain social skills, was quick to anger, and had the biggest chip on his shoulder Shiro had ever seen.

But there was no denying his talent, and Akira took to Sheikah training like a Loftwing took to the skies.

The Sheikah were people of the shadows, blessed by the Goddess Hylia to carry out her work. They were quite literally built for stealth, a trait Prince Akira clearly inherited from his mother. Shiro made a mental note to be more vigilant of the prince sneaking out.

One day, as they took a break from sparring, Shiro noticed Akira’s smile had dimmed somewhat from earlier.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

The prince glanced up from the kunai he’d been idly fiddling with. They’d recently discovered he had a knack for them and Akira had been ecstatic.

The prince looked back down at the weapon and shrugged.

“Rupee for your thoughts?” Shiro tried again.

Akira sighed. “It’s stupid.”

“I doubt it,” Shiro said. “But even if it is, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

The prince worried at his bottom lip for a moment before finally replying.

“All my life, people have been telling me it’s my destiny to rule Hyrule. I’ve trained since birth to protect my people and be the best king I can be. I don’t mind it. I love Hyrule and I want to do my best for everyone. And I actually really like some lessons, like magic and swordplay.”

Akira fell silent and Shiro nudged him gently.

“But?” he prompted.

“But,” Akira stared down at his reflection in the kunai’s shiny metal, “training to be a Sheikah feels...different. It’s not something I’m doing for Hyrule. I’m doing it for me.” Akira glanced up at Shiro through his bangs. “It makes me feel like...myself.”

He paused again, and Shiro gave him an encouraging nod.

“When I was born, my father named me Akira, as is tradition, but my mother gave me a Sheikah name too. Keith.” Akira continued, a faint blush on his cheeks. “It’s what my parents call me when we’re alone, and it’s the name I usually think of myself as. Sometimes...sometimes I wish it was my only name. That I could be a Sheikah warrior instead of a prince.”

Shiro considered him for a long moment and placed a hand on the prince’s shoulder.

“Well,” he said, “why can’t you be both?”

Akira blinked up at him.

“Your parents gave you two names,” Shiro smiled. “I don’t think they did that so you would have to choose one over the other. You are Akira, Prince of Hyrule, and you are also Keith, of the Sheikah Tribe. Both names carry a heavy weight, but I know you can handle it.”

The turmoil in the prince’s eyes faded as he stared at Shiro. Slowly, that familiar spark of determination grew once again.

“Those closest to me call me Keith,” he said. “I’d be honored if you would do the same.”

“The honor is mine,” Shiro pressed his hand over his heart and bowed his head, “Keith.”

\-----

After that talk, something settled within Keith. It was like he’d always had these two conflicting natures inside of him, and Keith always felt impending dread that one day one would eclipse the other, and he didn’t know which side he wanted to win.

It was true that sometimes being a prince was frustrating, but Keith knew he would feel immense grief if he were to truly lose his title and the destiny that came with it, even if he could become a Sheikah warrior in return. He had some reticence about being forced to play a role, of course, but it also gave him a sense of purpose, of belonging, of being a part of something greater than himself.

So he’d always known on some level that if a time came where he had to choose between the two sides of himself, he would choose to be a prince and protect his kingdom.

It never even occurred to Keith until he met Shiro that he could be both.

Both a prince of Hyrule, and a Sheikah warrior. He could protect his people with the skills his ancestors on both sides of his family cultivated for millennia: magic and destiny, shadows and light.

It would take work, but Keith was ready. He threw himself into his studies. By day, he learned Hyrulean history and politics, magic spells, swordsmanship and archery, etiquette, and even gave his all to lessons he considered frivolous, like dancing.

And then, three times a week after the sun sank below the horizon, Keith donned dark clothes, spelled his hair black, and followed Shiro to an isolated section of the woods to master the ways of the Sheikah.

Keith had insisted he could train more often, of course, but Shiro shot him down, stating the prince was already pushing the limits of his adolescent body. Keith had pouted, but admitted that Shiro probably had a point. The nights where they didn’t train, he’d usually collapse into bed and fall asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

Even so, Keith was the happiest he’d ever been.

\-----

“Keith, are you sure you know where you’re going?”

Shiro glanced around warily as he followed the prince through the winding maze of trees. He was starting to regret ever agreeing to this.

“For the last time, yes,” Keith rolled his eyes. “Just stay close, alright? I don’t want you getting lost and turning into a Stalfos.”

Shiro blanched. “What?!”

“Oh look, we’re here.”

Ignoring Shiro’s alarm, Keith swept aside some shrubbery to reveal a small meadow. Rays of sunlight filtered through the trees to speckle the tall grass, and the various patches of wildflowers sent a pleasant aroma on the breeze.

A lone, green-clad figure sat on a fallen log, short legs swinging idly as she fiddled with something in her hands. She appeared to be a young girl, maybe ten years old, with short messy hair and amber eyes obscured by large, round glasses. What looked like a glowing orb with wings hovered near her head.

Upon noticing their entry, the girl’s face lit up. She jammed whatever she was holding into her pocket and hopped down from her perch to greet them.

“Keith!” she exclaimed. “I was wondering when you’d visit again. What took you so long?”

Surprise made Shiro pause. Only those closest to the prince called him Keith.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Keith said. The girl threw her arms around him, and Keith awkwardly patted her on the head. “I didn’t mean to.”

She pulled back and squinted up at him.

“You’re taller,” she said accusingly, like the prince had committed some great sin. “Time works differently for us, so I thought that maybe I was just imagining it, but you really have been gone for a long time, huh?”

“About two years,” Keith admitted.

“What happened?”

“My parents assigned me my own personal bodyguard,” Keith jerked a thumb at Shiro and the Sheikah suddenly found himself under amber-eyed scrutiny. “Let’s just say he didn’t like the idea of me coming here.”

“Can you blame me?” Shiro shot back. “Few who enter the Lost Woods ever return.”

“I told you I knew what I was doing.”

“You also said you could tame that wild horse last month,” Shiro said dryly. “And then you broke your arm.”

Keith snapped his mouth shut and pouted. The Kokiri girl grinned.

“I like him,” she declared, and turned to Shiro. “I guess I can forgive you for keeping Keith away.”

Shiro blinked. “Um, thanks?”

“I’m Pidge,” she nodded at the glowing orb bobbing cheerfully beside her. “And this is my fairy, Rover.”

“Nice to meet you,” Shiro said politely.

“Same to you,” Pidge peered up at him curiously. “We don’t get many grownups in the Kokiri Forest, and especially not in the Lost Woods.”

“Really?”

“Kokiri don’t age,” Keith explained. “That’s why they’re known as the Children of the Forest.”

Shiro hummed. “I’ve heard tales about the fairy folk, but I’ve never met one in person.”

“Most haven’t,” Pidge shrugged. “Like I said, adults don’t usually enter our territory, and those who do don’t always make it back out. Plus, we Kokiri can’t leave the forest, or else we’ll turn into Koroks and be invisible to all but a rare few, like the prince here.”

Keith shot Shiro an ‘I told you so’ smirk.

“That’s quite fascinating,” Shiro said, ignoring the prince.

Pidge beamed before turning back to Keith. “So what did you wanna play today?”

“It’s up to you,” Keith shrugged, “since I kept you waiting so long.”

Pidge hummed and her face lit up. “Let’s do target practice! Did you bring your bow?”

Keith smirked. “Actually, I have something even better.”

Shiro sat on the log Pidge was on earlier and watched them play. Pidge conjured small targets that floated around her as she jumped, danced, and cartwheeled around the meadow. Keith chased after her, using a magic spell he’d recently mastered to summon small throwing knives from the air and hurl them at the targets.

Shiro smiled. It was nice to see Keith let loose and have fun with a kid closer to his age. The prince spent the majority of his time in the company of adults, like his tutors or the soldiers he trained with. Keith got along with them for the most part, and was even friends with some of them, like Adam, but there was a difference between how Keith acted around them and how he was now, tearing after the young Kokiri girl with a wild grin and not a care in the world for who might be watching.

“You missed!” Pidge taunted.

“That’s because you’re cheating!” Keith retorted, grin still firmly in place. “Shiro, back me up here!”

“Ha!” Pidge said. “You can bring your whole army, you’ll still be no match for me!”

Shiro chuckled and stood up to join the fray. Maybe next time Keith asked to visit a dangerous magical forest, Shiro wouldn’t be quite so against the idea.

Maybe.

\-----

“Welcome to Hyrule Castle, Lord Baku,” King Akira said. “We hope you enjoy your stay here while we discuss business.”

“I’m sure I will,” the tall Zora bowed before Akira and Krolia’s thrones. “It is an honor to be in your presence, your majesties.”

Standing off to the side, Keith did his utmost to fight back a yawn. His parents and Queen Luxia recently agreed to a new trading deal between Hyrule Castle and Zora’s Domain, so the aquatic people sent over a dignitary to negotiate the finer details. Baku and his entourage arrived earlier that morning, and everyone in the upper court gathered in the Sanctum to greet him, including Keith.

He was already so bored. Thank Nayru Keith wasn’t expected to attend the actual meetings.

After another fifteen minutes of mind-numbing pleasantries, King Akira finally dismissed the court. Keith started to follow the crowd out of the throne room when Baku suddenly blocked his path.

“Prince Akira,” the Zora simpered. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, your grace.”

Keith blinked. Had they met before? He visited Zora’s Domain with his parents from time to time, so it was possible, but Keith certainly didn’t remember.

Not wanting to come off as rude, the prince quickly nodded and replied, “You as well, my lord.”

Baku took Keith’s hand and Keith inwardly cringed, thinking the Zora was about to kiss it, but to his relief Baku merely bowed so that his forehead brushed against Keith’s knuckles.

“You grow lovelier each year. Taller too,” Baku chuckled like he was a fond uncle rather than a complete stranger. “How old are you now, my boy?”

“Um,” Keith awkwardly glanced back at Shiro who offered him the tiniest of shrugs. No help there, then. “I’ll be fourteen in autumn.”

“My, my,” Baku said. “Time certainly flies, doesn’t it?”

Keith was saved from answering when a female Zora with pale pink skin came up to them.

“Lord Baku, the servants are ready to show you to your quarters,” she said.

Not taking his eyes off Keith, Baku flapped a hand dismissively.

“Yes, yes, in a moment, Floria. Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“It’s Florona,” she replied, lips pursed into a thin line. “And they’re quite adamant we go now.”

“Oh, very well. It wouldn’t do to keep the servants waiting,” Baku rolled his eyes and shot Keith a conspiratory grin, like there was some kind of private joke between them. Keith merely shifted in place and tried not to show his discomfort. “We’ll have to continue this later, your highness.”

Keith nodded and the two Zora left the Sanctum. Once they were gone, he turned to Shiro with a grimace.

“I hate court politics,” Keith said, exiting the room as well. “I’m gonna fake my own death and live in Kakariko as a Sheikah.”

Shiro’s lips quirked as he followed Keith. “I think people might notice if a new Sheikah suddenly appeared right after the prince’s untimely demise.”

“Fine, then I’ll go live in the Lost woods. I’m sure Pidge wouldn’t mind.”

“Wouldn’t you turn into a Stalfos eventually?”

“If I never have to deal with this nonsense again? Worth it.”

Shiro’s laughter echoed through the hallway, and Keith’s mood lightened just a smidge.

\-----

Keith had hoped that he wouldn’t see much of Lord Baku since Keith wasn’t a part of the negotiations, but no such luck. It seemed whenever Baku wasn’t in meetings, he was trying to rub elbows with the most influential players of the upper court, which of course included the crown prince.

Normally, Keith would find this irritating but understandable. As he much he hated it, Keith knew social status and connections were the lifeblood of politics, and this was hardly the first time someone tried to weasle into his good graces.

What made interacting with Baku so aggravating was how transparently two-faced he was. When speaking to Keith, or any other noble lord or lady, Baku was all smiles and compliments, but the minute he had to address someone of lower rank, Baku became dismissive and rude.

He tried to hide it in Keith’s presence, of course, but there was no mistaking the scorn in his eyes whenever his assistant, Florona, came to drag him away. Not to mention he never once acknowledged Shiro’s presence despite the fact that he was literally always by Keith’s side.

Baku finally showed his true colors one night when he ran into Keith and Shiro on their way back from Sheikah training. The Zora quickly turned the corner, not noticing their silent footsteps. Only Shiro’s quick reaction time stopped them from crashing into each other.

“Watch where you’re going!” Baku snapped. His eyes narrowed. “Oh, it’s you. Prince Akira’s guard dog.”

Shiro’s face remained polite, but Keith reeled in shock. He knew Baku looked down on servants, but he’d never seen the Zora act so openly antagonistic.

Baku’s gaze flicked over Keith before returning to Shiro.

“What are you doing wandering the halls at night?” he asked snidely. “Shouldn’t you be with your master?”

Keith realized that with his hair black and the Sheikah mask covering the lower half of his face, Baku didn’t recognize him. Keith started to take a step forward to give Baku a piece of his mind, but Shiro raised an arm to block him.

“I could ask the same of you, my lord,” Shiro said mildly.

Baku puffed up in indignation. “Are you accusing me of something?”  

On average, Zora were bigger than Hylians, so standing at full height made Baku a good head taller than Shiro, but Shiro wasn’t fazed.

“Not at all,” Shiro said. “I’m merely expressing concern. It can be dangerous to go out so late without protection.”

“Well, you needn’t worry,” Baku sniffed. “This may come as a surprise, but I’m actually quite an accomplished warrior myself.”

“I’m sure you are, my lord.”

Baku eyed Shiro, apparently trying to determine if the Sheikah was making fun of him. After a moment, he scoffed and marched away.

Keith watched Baku disappear around the corner.

“Shiro,” he said quietly.

Shiro shook his head and started walking again. “It’s nothing, Keith.”

“It’s not nothing,” Keith protested. “I knew he was an asshole, but I didn’t realize it was this bad. Does he talk to other servants like that?”

“I don’t know,” Shiro said. At Keith’s stare, he sighed. “But I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“We should tell Mom and Dad.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Shiro said.

“Why not?!”

“You know Baku will deny any accusations, and it’s his word against that of a servant’s.”

“They don’t care about that kind of thing,” Keith said. “You know as well as I do that Mom and Dad care about our people, no matter their social status. And even if they didn’t, it would be my word too, and I’m higher ranked than he is.”

“Yes, but revealing yourself would mean making your Sheikah training public knowledge,” Shiro said. “Which would most likely result in ending it.”

Keith pursed his lips and said, “If it helps you and the other servants, I don’t care.”

They entered Keith’s rooms and Shiro turned to him with a sigh.

“I know you want to help,” he said, resting a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “And I’m proud that you’re willing to give so much up for the sake of your people. But it’s not that simple. Lord Baku isn’t a member of our court, and an insult to him could be perceived as an insult to Queen Luxia. It’s just not worth the risk.”

Keith frowned at his boots and Shiro squeezed his shoulder.

“It’ll be alright, Keith,” he said. “The trading deal will be finalized soon, and Baku will return to Zora’s Domain.”

“I guess,” Keith said reluctantly.

“Just give it time, okay? Patience yields focus, and with focus comes wisdom.”

“Gee, that must be why Nayru blessed me with the Triforce of Wisdom,” Keith said dryly. “I’m known for my patience, after all.”

Shiro laughed and ruffled Keith’s hair. “Just don’t do anything stupid, and you’ll be fine.”

\-----

“Prince Akira?” a voice said. “What are you doing in the library at this hour?”

Keith jumped and looked over at Adam.

“Um,” he said, “late night studying?”

The real answer was, of course, that this was the only time of day when Shiro wasn’t with him, which was kind of a necessary requirement for what Keith was trying to do.

Adam raised an eyebrow and walked closer to peer over Keith’s shoulder.

“I didn’t know you’d already progressed to mind-manipulation spells,” he said. “From my understanding, that’s quite advanced.”

He was right. Keith was far ahead of other mages his age, but even he wouldn’t normally touch this book for at least a few more years.

“It’s just for research purposes,” he lied. “This kind of magic relates to the spells I’m learning now, and reading more about it will help me understand the others.”

Adam eyed him skeptically.

“Very well,” he finally said. “Just don’t stay up too late. You have a test tomorrow, remember?”

Keith released the breath he was holding and nodded. Adam moved to leave, but then hesitated. Keith watched curiously as the scholar walked over to a shelf and retrieved a book, bringing it over to Keith.

“Here,” he said, “maybe this will help you in your...research.”

Keith examined the book and his eyes widened. It had exactly the kind of spell he’d been looking for. He glanced back up, but Adam was already walking out of the library.

Keith smiled and got to work.

\-----

The next morning, Keith watched smugly as Lord Baku was escorted from the throne room, still shouting about how superior he was to everyone around him.

That truth spell worked like a charm.

Shiro stared after the raging Zora and turned to Keith, his baffled expression transforming into one of suspicion.

“You didn’t have anything to do with this, did you?”

“Who, me?” Keith asked innocently.

“Keith,” Shiro warned.

“Oh, come on,” Keith rolled his eyes. “There are tons of mages in the castle, and Baku made an enemy out of almost everyone he spoke to.”

“True,” Shiro agreed lightly, “but not every mage has the skill to pull off a spell like that, or the guts to use it on an emissary of the Zora Queen.”

“Some of them probably do,” Keith shrugged. “Like, at least a couple.”

Shiro sighed and turned his gaze outside to watch Baku’s entourage try to shove him into his carriage, Florona happily directing their efforts. Once Baku had shown his true colors, Florona took over as the leading authority of their party and assured the King and Queen that the Zora would send an appropriate replacement posthaste.

Sure enough, a few days later a new dignitary arrived along with Queen Luxia’s apologies and assurance that Baku had been dealt with. The new Zora, Swirn, turned out to be a vast improvement, even if she did have a tendency to ramble on about conspiracies sometimes.

Shiro never brought up Baku’s mysterious departure again, but he was noticeably more at ease with the rude Zora gone.

Keith counted that as a win.

\-----

“Keith, please. You need to rest.”

“I’m fine, Shiro,” Keith didn’t look up from the paperwork he was hunched over.

Shiro sighed and replaced the prince’s cold, untouched mug of tea with a new one, steam still curling from it.

“Hyrule won’t fall to ruin if you get a good night’s sleep,” he said. “Everyone is worried about you.”

“Everyone?” Keith muttered absentmindedly as he continued to scan the reports. “Who’s everyone?”

“Everyone is everyone,” Shiro replied. “The servants are distraught. The knights don’t know what to do with themselves. Even the head cook is stress baking because you’ve been skipping meals. Every person in Hyrule Castle is concerned that you’re overworking yourself, but no one has the authority to stop you.”

Keith snorted and waved a hand dismissively. It would have been more believable if his eyes didn’t have bags the size of deku nuts.

“Please, you’re exaggerating.”

“I’m not,” Shiro replied mildly. “Just before I came in, a group of maids ambushed me and demanded I talk some sense into you.”

The teenager pursed his lips but remained silent, his eyes never leaving the text.

Shiro sighed and pulled out a chair to sit next to him.

“Keith.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Keith said through clenched teeth. “I’ve trained for this since birth, I know what I’m doing.”

“It’s not a question of your competence,” Shiro said. “You exceeded everyone’s expectations by stepping up in this dark time, and you’ve proven that you’ll make a great king someday.” Shiro leveled a serious look at Keith. “But you’re not king yet. You don’t need to bear so much on your own. You’re only fifteen, Keith.”

“I can’t stop,” Keith said. “These problems need to be addressed right away, and there’s too much for Mom to do on her own.”

“That’s what the Council is for,” Shiro pointed out.

Keith scoffed.

“Lot of good they’ve been,” he said, “running around like Cuccos with their heads chopped off.”

“They’d be more help if you didn’t scare them away every time they tried to ask you a question,” Shiro pointed out.

“I don’t have time to answer questions!” Keith snapped. “I have to look over these tax reforms and make sure no one’s trying to take advantage of the chaos for their own gain. Then I have to figure out which knights to send to Hateno to take care of that pack of Moblins. And _then_ I need to make preparations for the diplomacy meeting in Goron City, because Mom can’t leave the castle right now, which means I have to go by myself, and…and...”

“Keith…”

Shiro looked at the boy he’d come to think of as a brother, and his heart ached at the rough crack in Keith’s voice. The prince’s hands shook, knuckles white. Shiro gently pulled the book from Keith’s grasp, setting it aside, and Keith finally looked up at him, a wet sheen over violet eyes filled with agony.

“He’s gone, Shiro,” Keith said, so quiet Shiro had to strain his ears to hear it.

“I know,” Shiro replied, equally as soft.

The dam finally broke and tears ran down the prince’s cheeks. Shiro opened his arms, and Keith immediately threw himself into his embrace, gripping the front of Shiro’s tunic like a lifeline as his body was wracked with sobs.

Shiro wrapped an arm around Keith’s shoulders and used his other hand to stroke Keith’s ivory hair.

“It’ll be okay, Keith,” he said. “We’ll get Adam to help look over the taxes, alright? He’s got a good eye for things like that. And I’ll ask the captain of the guard to select who to send to Hateno. I’m sure he’ll jump at the opportunity.”

Keith sniffled against his shirt and nodded.

“As for the trip to Goron City,” Shiro pulled back slightly to meet Keith’s eyes. “You won’t be alone. I’ll be with you, remember?”

Keith nodded again and Shiro pulled him back into the hug.

“Thank you, Shiro,” Keith mumbled. “Sorry I made you worry.”

“Just try to take better care of yourself, okay? You’re Hyrule’s future.” Shiro squeezed the prince a bit tighter. “But more importantly, you’re my family, and I love you.”

Keith’s arms squeezed back.

“You’re my family too.”

\-----

Keith was dreaming.

Or at least, he thought he was. He certainly didn’t recall ever being in this place before, nor how he got here.

It appeared to be a ranch, probably a dairy farm judging by the cows scattered across the large pasture. There was a barn a little ways away, and a house a bit further than that where Keith assumed the owners lived.

The prince strolled leisurely across the soft, green grass, enjoying the warmth of the sun. The sky was a beautiful blue with big fluffy white clouds, a bit too picturesque to be real.

Keith realized he could hear music faintly wafting through the air. He followed the sound and soon spotted its source.

A young man, probably around seventeen years old, sat on the stump of a tree. He had dark brown hair and skin, and wore a plain outfit common among farmers. Horses, cows, cuccos, dogs, and even a few rabbits all sat nearby, listening to the melody the boy played on his flute.

The boy’s eyes were closed, but Keith had the strangest feeling that he already knew what color they were.

Not wanting to interrupt, Keith quietly settled onto the grass, his legs tucked underneath him. One of the dogs shuffled over and placed its head on the prince’s lap and Keith obligingly ran his fingers through its fur.

The boy’s song came to an end, and he opened his eyes. He blinked down at Keith, though he didn’t appear to be as surprised as one might expect.

Keith was right. His eyes were very blue.

A handsome smile spread across the boy’s face.

“Is this a dream?” he asked.

“I think so, yes,” Keith nodded.

The boy opened his mouth, paused, and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.

“Oh,” he said. “I was gonna say a line, but...nevermind.”

“Line?” Keith tilted his head.

“Yeah, y’know, like,” the boy held his own chin and shot Keith a dazzling grin, “I _must_ be dreaming for someone as beautiful as you to exist.”

Keith blinked, and then snorted. The boy didn’t seem too offended though, and dropped his cocky act for a sheepish smile.

“But if this actually is a dream, then I guess the point is moot,” he laughed. “It makes sense, now that I think about it. I don’t even know how to play this thing.”

He held up the instrument in his hand and Keith froze. The content feeling that he’d been basking in vanished, replaced by an icy terror. That wasn’t just any flute.

It was the Lion’s Flute.

The Lion’s Flute was a holy relic that had been passed down through the royal family for generations. As far as Keith knew, it was still tucked away somewhere in their treasury. The fact that this boy had it in this dream that felt a little too real could only mean one thing.

This boy was the legendary hero reborn.

Which meant Keith was…

“I have to go,” Keith said, stumbling to his feet.

“Huh?” The boy stood up as well, a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I...I just…” not sure what to say, Keith turned and ran.

“Hey, wait!”

Keith didn’t look back, ignoring the boy’s calling as his voice grew fainter and fainter. What was once the comforting warmth of the sun became a scorching blaze, and the calming colors of nature swirled and clashed, like someone had dragged their hand all over a painting that was still wet.

Suddenly, Keith woke up with a gasp, his eyes snapping open to stare up at his bedroom ceiling. Once his heartbeat finally calmed down, Keith rolled onto his side and curled into a ball.

“Nayru, give me strength,” he mumbled, and tried to fall back to sleep, hoping against hope that that dream had been just a dream and nothing more.

Still, a small part of Keith wondered if he’d ever see those blue, blue eyes again.

\-----

Shiro watched with growing concern as Keith traded blows with a knight in the training field. Normally, the prince would have defeated his opponent in less than ten minutes, but Keith seemed oddly distracted today, and even had some minor injuries from when he’d been caught off guard.

Finally, Keith lunged forward with his blade and disarmed the knight. The defeated player yielded, and the surrounding crowd cheered as Keith walked over to join Shiro.

“Well done,” Shiro said.

Keith grimaced and traded his sword for the towel Shiro held out.

“I was sloppy,” he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “I should have won in half the time it took.”

“You did look like your mind was somewhere else,” Shiro agreed. “Are you alright?”

Keith hesitated. He glanced behind him at the mass of soldiers, all of whom were now watching the next match.

He turned back to Shiro, and the Sheikah felt another drop of worry at Keith’s expression.

“Follow me,” Keith said. “I need to check something.”

Shiro nodded, and Keith led them through the halls of Hyrule castle, traveling deeper and deeper below ground until they arrived at a large sealed off door.

“The treasury?” Shiro said.

Keith used his magic to enter and walked confidently through the room. Shiro couldn’t help but stare a little. He’d never been here before, and it was a sight to behold. Not only were there gold and jewels, but the treasury held numerous ancient and magical artifacts, all radiating with power.

Keith came to a stop before a simple pedestal made of black marble with a red velvet cushion on top.

Upon the cushion rested a long, slender flute with a blue tassel tied to one end.

Staring at the flute, Keith let out a shaky breath.

“It’s still here,” he said.

“Did you think it had been stolen?” Shiro asked.

“Not exactly,” Keith turned to Shiro and bit his lip. “It’s just...I had this dream last night.”

Shiro listened attentively as Keith described his vision.

“But the Lion’s Flute is still here, so it was probably just a dream, right?” Keith said, though his eyes showed he didn’t quite believe that himself.

Shiro shook his head.

“I don’t know,” he said apologetically when Keith’s hopeful expression sank. “You are a prince of Hyrule, and the blood of the goddess Hylia runs through your veins. It could have just been a dream, but there’s a very real chance that it was some kind of prophetic vision.”

Keith bit his lip and looked down at the flute, a line deep between his brows.

“It can’t be a vision,” he said quietly, “because if it was…”

Shiro pursed his lips. If it was a vision, and the legendary hero had indeed been reborn, then that meant the goddesses were trying to warn Keith about an impending danger. Perhaps even the resurrection of the demon king, Zarkon.

“Maybe we should tell the queen,” Shiro said uneasily.

Keith, however, hastily shook his head.

“No,” he said. “At least not yet. We still don’t know for sure that it wasn’t just a dream, and I don’t want to worry her for no reason.”

Shiro frowned but didn’t argue.

“Alright,” he said, “but if you have any more visions, we tell her.”

Keith nodded reluctantly and they exited the treasury.

As the two walked back to Keith’s bedchambers, Shiro looked down at the prince from the corner of his eye.

“So,” he said casually, “what was he like?”

“Who?”

“The legendary hero, of course.”

Keith scowled and hunched his shoulders. If his etiquette teacher was around, she’d bark at the prince to stand up straight.

“Okay, one, we don’t know that he’s the legendary hero,” Keith scoffed. “He could have just been something my subconscious created. And two, there’s really not much to tell. He was just an ordinary boy.”

“Really?” Shiro asked dubiously. “The hero only gets reincarnated when Hyrule needs him most. Sometimes hundreds of years pass before he appears again. There really wasn’t anything special about him?”

“I mean,” Keith’s cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink, “I guess his eyes were pretty, but that’s about it.”

“Oh?” Shiro smirked.

“But like I said,” Keith sniffed. “He was probably just a figment of my imagination.”

“Right,” Shiro nodded sagely. “Your imagination has a history of thinking about ordinary boys with pretty eyes.”

Keith shoved him. It wasn’t a very prince-like thing to do, but Shiro was too busy laughing to care.

\-----

A few days later, Keith went to bed and opened his eyes to see the dairy farm once again. This time, he appeared to be inside the barn. Keith padded past the stalls, following the sound of soft humming.

He peered inside a stall to see the boy brushing a black and white horse. The boy spotted him and his eyes lit up.

Keith instinctively ducked behind a wooden beam, and immediately felt silly. The boy had clearly already seen him, not to mention the beam itself was slightly too narrow to fully obscure Keith.

“Good morning!” the boy greeted cheerfully, like it was perfectly normal for strangers to show up at his barn.

Keith stepped out in the open, a faint blush on his cheeks.

He cleared his throat. “Um, morning.”

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” the boy said.

Keith looked out the large open doors. It was just as picturesque as last time.

“Yes, it is,” he agreed.

“Yup,” the boy popped his lips on the “p” sound and crossed his arms to lean casually on the stall’s low gate. “Almost as beautiful as you.”

Keith blinked and then rolled his eyes.

“Really?” he asked. “You’re gonna try this again?”

The boy raised an eyebrow. “Again? Have we met before? No way,” he peered at Keith through narrowed eyes. “I definitely wouldn’t forget a face like yours.”

Keith blinked again. Did the boy not remember Keith visiting his dream? The prince felt relieved, but also just the tiniest bit disappointed.

“Nevermind,” he said. Keith walked closer to peer at the black and white horse. “Who’s this?”

The boy perked back up.

“This is Kaltenecker,” he patted her fondly. “Best horse in all of Hyrule. Fastest too.”

Keith made an obligingly impressed noise and offered his hand to the mare. Kaltenecker considered it for a moment before pressing her nose into Keith’s palm.

“She likes you,” the boy grinned while Keith stroked her.

“The feeling is mutual,” Keith smiled.

The boy stared, his face oddly red.

“I’m, uh, I’m Lance, by the way,” he said. “What’s your name?”

Keith hesitated. Lance didn’t remember their previous meeting, but would he remember this one? If Keith told Lance he was Prince Akira, would Lance show up at Hyrule Castle and demand answers? Maybe he would dismiss it as a dream, but what if Keith kept showing up?

“Hey, uh, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Lance said, snapping Keith out of his spiral. “I’m cool with you being a mysterious beauty.”

He sent Keith a wink, and the prince rolled his eyes again, though secretly he was relieved.

Lance seemed to sense that Keith was still a bit skittish. He handed Keith some carrots to feed Kaltenecker while Lance returned to brushing her. They pampered the mare in comfortable silence and Keith slowly started to feel at ease.

Then Lance said, “Hey, wanna see something neat?”

\-----

“Hyrule is doomed.”

Shiro stiffened, his fingers tightening around the breakfast tray handles as dread dropped into his stomach like a stone.

“What do you mean?” he asked, setting Keith’s meal onto the small table by the prince’s bedroom window. “Did you have another vision?”

Images of destruction ran through Shiro’s mind, of burned villages, withered forests, and dried-up lakes.

“Yes,” Keith looked up at Shiro seriously. “Hylia’s chosen hero is an idiot.”

Shiro blinked. He opened his mouth, paused, then closed it, shoulders slumping as he let out a breath of relief.

“He spent twenty minutes chasing a Cucco around the field,” Keith continued flatly, “and then jumped off the roof.”

“That...must have been quite the spectacle.”

Keith snorted. “That’s one way of putting it.”

The prince slid his legs out from beneath the bedcovers and walked over to the small table.

“You know how if you jump from a high place while holding a Cucco, you can glide down to the ground? Well, since this was his dream, Lance had the brilliant idea to try to make the Cucco stay at the same altitude so he could fly indefinitely.”

“That sounds fun.”

“At first, maybe,” Keith rolled his eyes and picked up his silverware. “But then he couldn’t figure out how to make it stop. He was flying around in circles for almost an hour before he finally just let go of the damn bird. The mental shock of hitting the ground must have woke him up, because the next thing I knew I was back in my room.”

Shiro smiled. “Sounds to me like-Lance, was it?-was trying to impress you.”

“Yeah, well, he did a terrible job. I hope for Hyrule’s sake he’s not actually the legendary hero. After last night, I wouldn’t trust him with a wooden spoon, let alone the Master Sword.”

“Now that seems a bit harsh,” Shiro chuckled.

“You didn’t see him flailing around, twenty feet in the air, shrieking his head off at a Cucco,” Keith deadpanned.

“I suppose that’s fair.”

They lapsed into a companionable silence while Keith ate his breakfast. When he was almost done, Shiro spoke in a more somber tone.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” he said.

Keith frowned and speared the last bit of sausage onto his fork with more force than necessary.

“Keith,” Shiro gave him a gentle but firm look. “You have to tell Queen Krolia about your dreams. If there’s a chance Zarkon will return soon, we have to be prepared.”

“Fine,” Keith finally said, “but I’m leaving Lance out of it. I’ll just say my visions were abstract and warned me about an oncoming danger.”

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Shiro frowned.

“We don’t need him,” Keith insisted. “We have the strongest military Hyrule has ever seen. We have you!”

“I am not Hylia’s chosen hero,” Shiro said, “and neither are our knights. You shouldn’t underestimate destiny, Keith.”

“I’m not, I just…” Keith sighed. “Look, if things start to feel like we can’t handle it, I’ll tell Mom about Lance. But for now, just trust me, okay?”

Shiro studied Keith’s pleading face for a long moment. Seeing how strongly the prince felt about this, Shiro’s shoulders dropped in resignation.

“Fine,” he said. “I don’t like it, but I’ll follow your lead.”

“Thank you, Shiro,” Keith smiled.

“You’re a good man, Keith,” Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you care about Hyrule more than anything, and you’ll make the right decision in the end, whatever it may be.”

Keith could be hot-headed and rash, but Shiro knew he had good instincts. In the times where he managed to get the prince to slow down and hone his focus, Keith always proved himself worthy as the true wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom. If Keith was adamant about keeping Lance’s existence a secret for the time being, Shiro trusted him.

\-----

The next time Keith found himself at the peaceful dairy ranch, he didn’t interact with Lance. Keith wasn’t sure how much of his stealth training transferred over into a dream, but he tried to make as little noise as possible when he tucked himself behind a tree nearby.

Keith peeked around the trunk to observe Lance. He appeared to be hard at work, whistling a cheerful tune as he tended to some cows.

After a little while, a young woman walked over to him. She looked about his age, maybe a bit older, and had similar enough features that Keith assumed they were related. The two chatted amicably for a bit, their voices loud and teasing.

It wasn’t long before the dream faded away naturally as Lance woke up.

The following visits went by in a similar manner. Keith would find a tall perch or dark shadow to hide in and watch Lance go about his business. Keith wondered if Lance’s dreams were normally idyllic recreations of his daily life, or if that was only the case for the ones Keith visited, perhaps made so by the goddesses as a way to give Keith insight into the hero’s life. Lance certainly always seemed more lucid than one would normally be in a dream.

Keith watched Lance feed his family’s livestock while singing a merry tune. He watched Lance play with his brothers and sisters, all of them running and screeching and laughing. He watched Lance practice his archery skills while riding horseback on Kaltenecker, never missing a shot.

That time, Keith almost took back what he said about Lance not being fit to be the chosen hero. That is, until Lance tried to backflip off his horse and definitely would have broken his neck if it hadn’t been a dream.

Unfortunately for Keith, Lance’s cheerful ignorance only made the prince more and more antsy as time went by. His mother asked him every day if he’d received another vision, anything that could help them prepare for Zarkon’s return. She particularly wanted to know if Keith had any clues as to the identity of Hylia’s chosen hero. Every time she asked, Keith would shake his head while trying not to buckle under the weight of Shiro’s stare. The Sheikah kept his face blank, but Keith could still feel him grow more and more disapproving the longer Keith kept Lance a secret.

It was getting to the point that Keith was starting to reconsider, if only to make his mother happy and get Shiro off his back. Sure, Lance might be an idiot, but he probably wouldn’t make things worse, right?

However, contrary to Shiro’s belief, Keith’s pride wasn’t the only thing stopping him from drafting Lance into his destiny. If there was one thing Keith was certain of after intruding on a handful of Lance’s dreams, it was that Lance had a good life. A peaceful life.

And Keith wasn’t sure he could bring himself to ruin that.

\-----

A few more days passed, and Keith still hadn’t made a decision.

Thoughts muddled together in his mind as Keith sat on the cushioned bench attached to his bedroom’s large window, fingers idly plucking notes on the Goddess’ Harp. Shiro sat on a chair nearby, enjoying the melody while he read a book.

When Keith was younger, his parents had him try a variety of instruments to see which he liked best. Music was quite literally a form of magic, and it was important for the prince to learn it.

Keith eventually settled on a lyre, liking the way his fingers nimbly danced across the strings. His parents had exchanged a look that Keith didn’t understand at the time, and on his thirteenth birthday, his father gifted Keith the Goddess’ Harp.

He wondered if they had somehow known all those years ago, or at least suspected that Keith wasn’t just any prince, but a prince of destiny, born at the same time as the legendary hero’s reincarnation. He could ask his mother, but Keith wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

“Keith?”

The notes petered out and Keith’s head snapped up. As though summoned by his thoughts, Queen Krolia walked gracefully over to him. The prince hadn’t even heard her come into the room. Either she still retained the skills of the Sheikah, or Keith was just too caught up in his own head to notice.

Probably both.

Shiro set his book down and stood to bow to the queen. Krolia nodded back politely and sat on the bench next to Keith.

“That was a lovely song,” she smiled. “Is it a spell of some kind? I heard the stable hands shouting about the horses acting strangely. I hope that wasn’t your doing.”

“Um, no…” Keith blinked and tried to recall what he’d been playing. He was so lost in thought, his fingers moved automatically, but he now realized the melody was the same one that Lance had played on the Lion’s Flute in Keith’s first vision. Heat rose to his cheeks. “Well, actually...maybe? I’m not sure.”

Krolia raised an eyebrow but thankfully didn’t question him further.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” she said. “I know you haven’t been very happy since we had to put your Sheikah training on hold.”

With the approaching threat of Zarkon, Keith’s mother had thought it wisest for Keith to focus solely on improving his skills as a prince of destiny. Under different circumstances, Keith would be thrilled to replace his etiquette lessons with more magic training, but unfortunately his Sheikah training got cut too.

Keith had accepted it as a necessary sacrifice, but he didn’t like it.

“I know how you must feel,” Krolia reached out to gently brush Keith’s ivory bangs away from his eyes. “I always felt more at ease as a Sheikah warrior than as a queen. The crown is a heavy burden to bear, but I promise that when this is all over, and Zarkon no longer looms over our heads, you can pick up your training right where you left off. Along with your less beloved lessons,” she added with a cheeky grin.

Keith chuckled. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Of course. And in the meanwhile, I have something for you.”

Krolia held out a large knife, made of dark metal that had an almost purple hue.

“This blade has been passed down through our family for centuries, Sheikah warrior to Sheikah warrior,” she said. “I was going to give it to you on your eighteenth birthday, but given the circumstances, I figure a couple of months won’t make much difference.”

Keith carefully took the knife and examined it with uncontained awe.

“The Blade of Marmora is a powerful magical artifact,” Krolia said. “No one quite knows its origins. Some say it was blessed by Hylia herself, while others claim that an ancient Sheikah monk used magic to steal the power from hundreds of demons and sealed it within the blade. Whatever the case, it has many abilities, and will serve you well, just as it has served me and those who came before me.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Keith gripped the hilt tightly. “I won’t let you down.”

Krolia’s eyes softened.

“I’m so proud of you, my son,” she whispered, cupping his cheek.

A hot prickle rose behind Keith’s eyes and nose. Setting the knife aside, he scooted closer and tucked himself into his mother’s arms.

Barely noticing Shiro and Thace slip into the hall to give them privacy, Keith allowed himself a moment to rest in the warm safety of his mother’s embrace.

Soon, they would return to the real world. Soon, they would hold meetings to decide how to act should Zarkon appear. Soon, Keith would have to make a decision about whether or not to enlist Lance’s help.

Soon, but not now. For now, things were alright.

\-----

In the end, Keith’s decision was ripped from him.

Keith let out a pained groan and opened his eyes.

At first he was confused. This wasn’t his bedroom. This wasn’t a room at all, but rather a dark cave. It must have been night, because the only light came from the small campfire Shiro crouched by.

The Sheikah turned and rushed to Keith’s side.

“You’re finally awake,” he said, relief stark on his face.

“What happened?” Keith tried to sit up, but Shiro stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t move, your injuries are still healing,” he replied. “We were attacked. Do you remember?”

At Shiro’s words, it all came flooding back.

A feast to celebrate the solstice, like they did every year.

The dining hall’s doors suddenly crashing open and countless monsters pouring in.

His mother barking orders as the knights jumped to their defense.

A large man, bathed in an aura of evil, demanding Krolia give him the kingdom.

Krolia refusing and the man using dark magic to turn her and so many others to stone.

Keith had tried to stop him, but there were too many enemies. He managed to cut through several monsters, and was about to plunge his sword into the man’s back, but the man must have sensed him coming. He turned around and blocked Keith’s attack before using a powerful blast of dark energy to throw Keith across the room.

Keith’s body slammed against a wall, and he had trouble remembering what happened after that. He vaguely recalled Shiro jumping in between them. He must have gotten Keith and himself out of there somehow.

“How could this happen?” Keith covered his eyes with his forearm. “I thought we were prepared. I thought…”

After he told his mother about his visions, Krolia had raised security around the castle to an unforeseen level. Guards were on high alert, and she even sent foot soldiers to sniff out rumors of Zarkon’s return. So far they hadn’t found anything, so how had Zarkon taken them by surprise like this?

Shiro’s hand squeezed his shoulder gently, grounding Keith.

“We can’t think about that now,” Shiro said. “Zarkon has sealed off Hyrule Castle.”

Keith bolted upright, ignoring the way his injuries screamed in protest.

“The Lion’s Flute!” he gasped. “It’s still in the treasury!”

According to his vision, the Lion’s Flute was imperative to defeating Zarkon. Without it, all was lost.

Shiro gently guided Keith to lean back against the wall.

“It’s okay, Keith,” he said.

“But-”

Shiro raised a hand, and Keith snapped his mouth shut. He watched as the Sheikah walked to the other side of the cave and brought back two items.

One was a sky blue tunic imbued with holy magic.

The other was the Lion’s Flute.

Keith accepted them with wide eyes.

“How did you…?”

“You’re not the only one with Hylia’s blessing, you know,” Shiro smiled. “This past week, I’ve had a strong feeling that we would need these, so I’ve been holding onto them.”

Keith frowned. “How did you get into the treasury?”

“Ah, well,” Shiro glanced away, looking contrite. “I may have had to, uh, use some of my less savory skills.”

Keith’s eyebrows shot up, and despite the dire situation, a small smile crept onto his face.

“Thank you, Shiro,” he said softly. “You’ve given Hyrule hope. You’ve given _me_ hope.”

“I’m glad I could be of help,” Shiro replied. His expression sobered. “You know what you have to do now, don’t you?”

Keith’s smile slipped away and he stared down at the items in his hands.

“He’s just a boy,” Keith said softly. “He has a good life. A peaceful life. I don’t know if I can take that away from him.”

“If you don’t, Hyrule is doomed,” Shiro said gravely.

Keith sighed and placed the Lion’s Flute and Champion’s Tunic aside. Laying back down, he closed his eyes and reached deep within himself, to the core of his magic and the sacred thread that connected him to his destiny.

“ _Lance…_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Me: this story takes place before Lance and Keith meet, so there will be little to no klance interaction
> 
> Me:
> 
> Me: ok, but what if
> 
> \-----
> 
> One of my favorite aspects of BotW is Zelda’s struggle between her duty as a magical princess and her desire to be a scientist, and I wanted to give Keith a similar sort of arc that Shiro could help him with. I love broganes so much.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! I’m already planning a few more fics for this AU, mostly following Lance and Keith’s adventures after the events of The Lion’s Flute, so if that interests you, please subscribe to me or to the Lion’s Flute series! I’m also more than open to any suggestions for fun stuff to add to this series. If there’s something you’d like to see, let me know in the comments! 
> 
> And, as always, a special thanks to my beta, Melissa. You da best.


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